Honours even at Cottage

Bent: Celebrates opening goal

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A poor game at Craven Cottage finished 1-1 between Fulham and Wigan, with a point doing neither side much good in their battle to avoid the drop.

Both sides battled hard in the first half, but clear-cut chances were few and far between as the two sides struggled to put together any decent passages of play.

Paul Konchesky's 30-yard effort was as close as either side came to breaking the deadlock in the first 45 minutes, but his effort cannoned off the top of Chris Kirkland's crossbar.

With 20 minutes left Marcus Bent appeared to have put Wigan on their way to their first away win of the season. Titus Bramble won the ball well in the air and his flick was smashed into the roof of the net by Bent.

Steve Bruce's side let their lead slip just eight minutes later though, when Diomansy Kamara's mis-hit shot fell kindly for Clint Dempsey, and the American took his chance well.

Antoine Sibierski could have won the game for Wigan in the dying minutes, but his diving header from Paul Scharner's long-ball clipped the crossbar and went over.

Initiative

Fulham, who sacked boss Lawrie Sanchez on Friday, took the early initiative with a header from defender Carlos Bocanegra cleared off the line by Denny Landzaat in the sixth minute.

Three minutes later a superb low cross from Hameur Bouazza was almost turned home by Dempsey as the home side continued to impress during the early skirmishes.

In the 11th minute, former Fulham player Michael Brown sent a shot high into the crowd from the edge of the penalty area but it was a rare excursion into the home defence.

Brown tried his luck again in the 20th minute but the midfielder's accuracy was again found wanting and his effort flashed well wide of Antti Niemi's right-hand upright.

Simon Davies brought a fine save from Kirkland with a stinging right-foot drive before Kamara almost gave Fulham the lead when he got to a free-kick from Davies before Kirkland.

But the Fulham striker just failed to guide his effort inside the post to the relief of the Wigan goalkeeper.

Fulham continued to dominate the game and Konchesky was unlucky not to put them in front in the 27th minute when he opted to try his luck from distance.

His swerving shot beat Kirkland in the Wigan goal but the woodwork saved the visitors when Konchesky's effort rebounded off the crossbar.

Fulham squandered the first chance of the second half when Dempsey burst clear of the Wigan defence only to drill his right-foot shot wide of the target.

Wigan were content to stifle the life out of the game and as a result the home side found it difficult to create any clear-cut openings after Dempsey's miss.

Largely forgettable

Latics defender Bramble went close with a header in the 64th minute but it was the best effort either side could muster in a largely forgettable second half.

Indeed it was no surprise when Wigan scored the opening goal of the game in the 69th minute.

A corner on the left was only partially cleared by the Fulham rearguard and when Brown sent the ball back into the penalty area, the defence panicked.

Bramble rose the highest to knock the ball down for the advancing Bent and the Wigan striker sent his volley into the roof of the net as Niemi looked to close him down.

But Fulham equalised in the 78th minute when Wigan's defence failed to clear a Chris Baird cross and when the ball rebounded to Dempsey, via Kamara, the American striker made no mistake from 12 yards.